This website is different from most; it is modern in style with a chaotic flair. The home page is a scrollable page with most of the images as background images. The Home page has 3 main images, 1 main fixed background image, 6 other background images and 2 music videos. It almost seems as if the site was created using scrollable layers; definitely JavaScript and definitely different. Two of the main images are approximately 300 kb in size and I was unable to determine a file size on the third image. Image dimensions are 640×329, 435×311 and 972×230 px. There is 1 main fixed background image that holds the site together, 3 smaller scrolling background images that are navigation links and 3 other non-scrollable background images that are other navigation links. The images enhance the website and display the character and feeling of the musical group, Tune Yards. Viewing the website at 50% gives a different dimension to the layout. When you hide images using the Web Developer in Chrome pretty much all the bells and whistles disappear, so does the background scrollable navigation links. You can still access all content on the main page, including the store and all subpages and links via existing navigation links and Tumbler, FaceBook, etc. icons at the bottom of the page. The videos are still accessible and so are the concert dates of the group. This is not a practical website but I don’t think Tunes Yards would have wanted a practical site.
Catchy sound this group has. I think the Tune Yards site you selected is very quirky-looking. The parallax effects created by the multiple scrolling backgrounds make site feel a little off-kilter, which I think must be a purposeful effect. I’m curious what you think about parallax effects and if you think they add to a web site design or if they are distracting.
Don’t forget that under Information on the Web Developer Toolbar you can select the Document Size report that helps gather even more information about images on the page you’re viewing.